Step 3 Open a new document and give it a background colour, then use your custom brush to block out the hair’s basic shape, varying the size, colour and transparency of the rings slightly. Use the Burn tool to darken some areas more, then add a layer mask as shown.

Next, duplicate the hair layer, set the blending mode to Multiply, and add a new layer mask, this time as a radial gradient.

Step 4 Duplicate the first hair layer again and move this to the top of the layer stack, adding a layer mask as shown: this gives us a soft highlight. Duplicate this layer, move it under the other three hair layers, set the blending mode to Multiply and the Fill to 82%. Later we’ll be putting the face between these hair layers.

Then copy the left side of the hair, paste it onto a new layer, set its blending mode to Multiply and shift it halfway to the right. Do the same for the right-hand side of the hair, shifting it to the left.

Step 5 Darken some of the areas of the back of the hair using the Burn tool, set to Midtones and exposure of 50%. Group together the layers of the back of the hair, and the front of the hair, then set a gradient layer mask for the back of the hair. Finally, blend the hair slightly so that the individual ringlets aren’t as visible.